China has appropriated all the pandas and gives them to other countries only for rent or as a “living gift” with political overtones. There is even such a thing as panda diplomacy: the PRC authorities give black and white bears to other states to establish relations with them. At the same time, cubs that are born abroad must be returned to their homeland.
As the national symbol of China, the panda is associated with kindness, condescension, benevolence, and sincerity. But since she became the object of rent, she is perceived more as a decorative animal. Once in zoos with thousands of visitors, the bamboo bear has lost its original meaning. Now he is considered just a cute and clumsy “exhibit” that children like.
Even though the PRC appropriated these unique animals, no one prevents various foreign companies from using emblems with pandas. They are portrayed as cute and serious, defenseless and dangerous – it all depends on what meaning is invested in the brand logo. In this collection, we have presented several examples of such designs, where the contrast of images is best seen.
WWF
The artists behind the panda logo for the WWF believed it was an endangered species that needed protection. But recently, black and white bears are no longer endangered. This was recognized even by the Chinese authorities, who managed to increase their population by increasing the area of bamboo forests. However, the World Wide Fund for Nature retained its iconic symbol because the conservation organization would be perceived very differently without it. With its change, the identity of the brand will be lost.
The animal in the logo is partially depicted using negative space. The black paws, ears, nose, and spots around the eyes are visible, and empty spaces form the white body and head. The panda looks impersonal because the designers wanted to show that she disappears from the face of the Earth so that people can see her defenselessness. Under the picture is a dark inscription “WWF.” It is in bold sans-serif type. The rounded edges of the letters create a sense of security and trust.
Hello Panda
Hello, Panda launches tiny cookies with crispy shells and sweet, creamy fillings. They depict funny sports pandas kicking a soccer ball, archery, or playing hockey. So for Hello Panda, the logo with the same cartoon character is an integral part of the identity. The animal on the emblem looks as friendly as possible because its purpose is to attract the attention of buyers, especially children. The artists changed the proportions a bit to make the panda anthropomorphic. To do this, they had to increase the head, reduce the torso and expand the spots around the eyes. Moreover, they made the white iris unnaturally wide and added additional light highlights to the black pupils.
The brand’s mascot rises above the two-tier “HELLO PANDA” lettering, which is slightly arched in the shape of a smile. The bubble font and a nice shade of blue color match the overall gaming style. Bamboo sticks are drawn to the right and left of the animal, and a large red spot serves as a background for all elements.
The Cheeky Panda
Biodegradable wipes, toilet paper, and towels are the backbones of The Cheeky Panda range. And since they are made from bamboo waste, the designers created a logo for The Cheeky Panda featuring this plant. The letters “k” and “d” are connected in one vertical line and stylized as a bamboo stalk with two green leaves, which was made possible by dividing the brand name into several lines. The inscription is predominantly black, and only the article “The” located at the top is painted in a delicate light green color.
The panda appeared in the company’s identity only because it eats bamboo. This is the best association that the brand developers came up with. The emblem depicts a two-dimensional head of an animal: one black stripe in the form of an uneven and open ring, semicircular ears, a nose in the form of a dot, an arc-smile, and white eyes with large spots around them. The panda’s minimalistic style and friendly look evoke the affection that the designers wanted.
FoodPanda
For the FoodPanda brand, the logo is a vivid way of self-expression. Moreover, it is bright in the literal sense because its parts- the drawing and the inscription – are painted in rich fuchsia color. However, the base of the panda’s head is white, as happens in nature. Guided by the principles of minimalism, the designers created a geometrically accurate composition of circles and semicircles. The drawing turned out to be symmetrical: its right side looks the same as the left, only in a mirror image. But why panda? The food delivery platform chose this symbol because they thought it was cute and memorable. Given the sluggishness and slowness of the bamboo bear, it was unlikely that any other qualities were taken into account here, except for appearance. And to reduce the degree of tenderness, the creators of the logo used a strict bold sans-serif font for the inscription.
Panda Global
The online platform Panda Global has an emblem reminiscent of artists’ work in the cubism style – however, in a modern interpretation. The entertainment service icon consists of different geometric shapes, and there is no single circle among them. The head is depicted as a white octagon with a dark outline, the ears and eyes are black rectangles, and the nose is a triangle. The picture is outlined around the perimeter with a thin light green stripe. The same green accents are featured in the design of the Panda Global website. Obviously, they must be associated with plants, namely bamboo, which is eaten by pandas. The inscription next to it also looks futuristic. Designers used a geometric grotesque for it with rectangular intra-letter gaps and shortened vertical lines at the “p” and “d.”
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda logo matches its name and purpose. After all, this organization is engaged in conserving rare animals and breeds them in captivity, creating favorable conditions for this. So the symbol of the non-profit research center is not just a panda but a mother with a baby. An adult is depicted with two large ovals – black and white (torso and head), two small ovals (eyes), and two circles (ears). She holds a cub, which consists of similar geometric shapes, but of a different size. The word “PANDA” is written at the bottom, for which the designers used a custom-designed jumping spiky font. Some strokes are shaped like bamboo sticks. For visual harmony, all letters are white, and their outlines are wide and black.
Cap Panda
For Indonesian brand Cap Panda, the black-and-white bear logo is nothing more than an attempt to grab shoppers’ attention. This animal was chosen only because most people find it cute. Of course, the creators of the symbol tried to show a connection with nature because the drinks are enriched with jelly from various herbs, primarily basil. But the ingredients don’t include the plant with which the panda is commonly associated.
A black and white bear sits with its head bowed and one paw resting on a red sign with the brand’s name. White lowercase font with rounded letters evokes subconscious trust. The animal also looks friendly because it smiles friendly. To make the look more friendly, the artists made the eyes not black but white.
Alberta Pandas
Alberta Pandas’ logo is not as cute as other brands on this list. On the contrary, it is filled with rage since it was important for the sports teams of the University of Alberta to show their fighting spirit and desire to win. The emblem proves that looks can be deceiving. After all, pandas that look like the epitome of meekness are not plush toys. Like many other animals, they have sharp claws and powerful fangs. They also become aggressive when they sense danger.
To depict the bamboo bear in motion, the artists made its right paw longer and larger than its left. This makes the right side of the body appear to be pushed forward as if the panda is trying to look more imposing. The dark spots around the eyes look like war paint. The mouth is wide open, and a row of long teeth is visible in it. The wool is not smoothed but bristles in all directions with sharp needles. Instead of the typical black color, dark green is used, plus the emblem is outlined with a gold stripe.
Panda Express
Not surprisingly, the Panda Express logo and name are associated with the main national animal of China because it is a chain of restaurants in the Asian segment. Although it is based in the United States, its menu includes popular Chinese dishes. So the use of the image of a panda is fully justified. The black and white bear is inside a red circle, which is placed in a wide white ring with text. Above is the brand name, and below is the phrase “CHINESE KITCHEN.” Both parts are made in the same font; only in the first half of the inscription do some letters have single horizontal serifs.
Panda Antivirus
The creators of Panda Antivirus chose the appropriate logo for this program – the image of a black and white bear. But the emblem shown here belongs to Panda Security SL, the antivirus program developer. This is an old symbol because the previous company name is indicated in a square frame with rounded corners: Panda Software. In the same place, but slightly higher, is the head of the animal. The drawing is simplified and slightly blurred as if someone hastily drew it with blue chalk on a blackboard. The first word is in bold cursive and the second word is in small italics.
Canal Panda
For Canal Panda, a logo is a tool of self-expression. After all, this TV channel, which is broadcast on the Iberian Peninsula, is aimed at preschoolers. Almost all of his programs are for children, except a few programs for teenagers. So the cartoon character fits in perfectly with this concept. The head of a smiling panda peeks out from the corner of an orange square with rounded sides. Below it is written in gray the word “CANAL,” and below it – “PANDA.” The second half of the name is in bubble font and consists of bright multi-colored letters: red “C,” blue “A,” yellow “N,” green “A,” and orange “L.”
